Pitch pipe



Dec. 13, 1955 P. F. LAKE 2,726,568

FITCH PIPE Filed DSC. 8, 1951 Z Y u .Y //3 frz Ven 25021' m Z9' 7 ffm fr me,

@M M W /fz y /725 9672? T0/Wega United States Patent U PITCH PIPE Peter F. Lake, Union, N. J.

Application December 8, 1951, Serial No. 260,653

8 Claims. (Cl. 84-456) This invention relates to improvements in pitch pipe constructions, having particular reference tosuch instruments in which the casings preferably are made of plastic material, and preferably are substantially circular in configuration, with a novel arrangement of the reeds, and the `provision of such pitch pipes is a principal object yof the invention.

Generally, it is an object of the invention to provide such pitch pipes which are economical of manufacture, sturdy, yet simple and durable of construction, attractive in appearance and otherwise well suited to the purposes intended.

More specifically, it is lan object of the invention to provide a pitch pipe including a casing having an air passage, or passages therethrough, the casing having upper and lower substantially fiat surfaces, and an individual reed holder, having a single reed attached thereto, re movably mounted within said air passage, and opposite .edges of said holder frictionally engaging adjacent wall surfaces constituting said passage.

Yet, more specifically, an object of the invention is .the provision of a casing of substantially disk-like contiguration having substantially flat top and ybottom walls `connected by an end wall with substantially radially disposed air passages therethrough, and a plurality of individual reed holders, each having a single reed therein, substantially radially disposed between said walls, each reed holder being removably mounted individually within one of the passages, and frictionally engaging the walls .comprising the passages, thereby to maintain the reed holders, andfconsequently the reeds, in selected position.

Other specific objects of the invention are to lprovide such a pitch pipe in which the reed holder, orholders, are angularly disposed with respect to the pipe walls; in which the reed holder, or holders, is substantially vertically'disposed with respect to the upper randvlower walls; in which the upper and lower walls comprise atleast two separate sections preferably adhesively connected together; in which the upper wall comprises a plate and the end wall -being integral with the lower wall and perforated, and the .end wall and plate preferably beingadhesively connected to each other.

Other specific objects are to provide such apitch pipe in which the upper wall-comprises a plate having grooves therein substantially radially disposed and adapted frictionally to receive reed holders within such grooves; in whichthe upper and lower walls kthereof each have oppositely disposed substantially radial grooves therein adapted frictionally to receive such reed holders; Ain which such `air passages are provided by spaced-apart ribs substantially radially disposed with theireed holders being mounted diagonally of the passages and angularly with respect to the walls; and in which the casing 'constituting the device includes a central chamber having an air passage therein with radial air passages communicating with the chamber.

It `is ,also an object of the invention to ,provide such pitch pipes with a reed holder, or holders, Vhaving openice ings adjacent the reed and terminating in air batiie portions oppositely directed, whereby to direct the passage of air through the opening in the holder and against the reed to cause vibration of the latter.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a pitch pipe comprising a plurality of tube casings, substantially rectangular in cross section, each having air passages therethrough, each being tapered at one end and alternately, oppositely directed, such casings 'being secured together in a common plane and having substantially Hat, plane upper and lower surfaces, and an individual reed holder having a single reed vattached thereto mounted in each air passage with opposite longitudinal edges of each holder frictionally engaging adjacent wall surfaces of each passage.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture possessing the features, properties, and the relation of elements which will be exemplified in the article hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of a dislt type pitch pipe with substantially half of the top wall removed and with a portion thereof in section;

lFig. 2 is a plan view of the underside of the top wall of such a pitch pipe as that shown in Fig. 1 but on a smaller scale;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View talten along the lines 3-3 of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of the pitch pipe shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken along the lines 55 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective View of a section of the exposed .portion of the bottom half of the casing constituting the pitch pipe illustrated in Fig. l;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a modified form of circular type pitch pipe casing;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view, partly in section, of a single pitch pipe with a reed holder, having a reed partly broken away and frictionally engaged within the passage thereof; and

Fig. 9 is a perspective View of a plurality of single tubular casings, such as that shown in Fig. S, secured together in alternately and oppositely directed relation.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, there is indicated generally at lil, a disk type pitch pipe preferably made substantially completely of any suitable plastic material, and in any desirable color.

This device comprises substantially dat top and bottom walls, 11 and 12, respectively, connected by a peripheral end wall 13.

The end wall is provided with spaced peripheral openings 14 leading into passages 15 and being substantially radially disposed, such passages being provided'by vertical spaced-apart ribs 16 which, of course, are also substantially radiallydisposed. All of these ribs, and consequently the passages, terminate short of the center of the disk and end in a central circular air chamber 17. Preferably, vertically through the center of Vboth the upper plate 11, and the lower plate 12, are holes 18 and 19 in holes 18 and 19 may be utilized for the passage therethrough of a looped cord or ribbon so that the device can be held in suspended position around the neck of the wearer, or otherwise, whether in or out of use.

Of novel significance is the position and construction of the reed holders 21. It will be observed that each reed holder is disconnected from the other. That is to say, each reed holder is separate and independent being also substantially radially disposed with respect to the device and diagonally with respect to the air passages. In other words, the reed holders are adapted frictionally to engage the top and bottom plates along their longitudinal edges, extending from one side of each opening 14 to a point adjacent the inner end of the adjacent rib. Each reed holder has a customary opening therethrough and has axed, adjacent the opening, a reed 22 by means of, for example, a rivet 23. The upper and lower plates 11 and 12 may be cemented to each other along the line of contact 24 and it will at once be obvious that reed holders can individually be removed from their illustrated positions inasmuch as they are preferably merely in frictional engagement with the upper and lower plates 11 and 12. Furthermore, the reed holders preferably are positioned end-for-end and given a half turn around their longitudinal axis so that the vibrating tip or free end of the reed may be outwardly directed and readily accessible for adjustment while they are mounted in this assembled position in the casing.

As an added feature, I provide either or both of the upper and lower plates with substantially radially disposed grooves. For example, as shown in Fig. 2 these grooves may be placed in the upper plate 11 as at 25, or in the lower plate as at 26 as indicated in Fig. 6. In such grooves the longitudinal opposite edges of the reed holders may be made wedgingly to be fitted so that, as a practical matter all of such reed holders will materially aid in holding the upper and lower plates in position as well as to make it possible to position and easily to remove the reed holders. In such a construction, that is, in which such grooves are utilized it is possible to eliminate the necessity for adhesively securing the plates 11 and 12 at their line, or lines, of contact although a utilization of such an adhesive is, nevertheless, recommended.

With such a construction, the individual reed holders may be said separately to be so arranged that air injected into the openings 14 is temporarily bafiied but immediately passes through the opening in the reed holder into and through the other portion of the passage on the opposite side of the reed, then into the chamber 17 and outwardly of the openings 18 and 19, bringing about consequent vibration of the reed, or reeds, 22.

In the embodiment of the invention above described the line of separation of the plate 11 and plate 12 illustrates that the upper plate is thinner than the lower plate 12 because the latter has integral therewith the peripheral end wall 13 punctuated by the spaced-apart openings 14 leading to the air passages. In Fig. 7, therefore, there is illustrated another embodiment of the device which is within the contemplation of the invention in that the upper plate 111 and lower plate 112 are of equal size extending, curved or otherwise, toward each other to provide end walls, with suitable openings, 113 and 114, with a result that the upper and lower plates are of equal size and joined together along a center peripheral line 115. Grooves 116 and 117, for the reception of reed holders, may also be utilized in accordance with the first type of embodiment above described.

As a further modification of the invention there is shown in Figs. 8 and 9 a pitch pipe, or combination of such pitch pipes, which embody the principles of invention except that they are arranged with respect to each other, and with respect to the reed holders and reed, in a somewhat different arrangement. For example, in Fig. 8 there is illustrated a single pitch pipe adapted to provide a single note. This preferably comprises a tubular construction 27, which preferably is square in cross section throughout most of its length, and at one end, but at its other end is tapered as at 2S. A passage 29 extends therethrough and in this passage there is removably mounted a reed holder 239 having a reed therein, similar in this connection to the reed holders and reeds above described. However, these terminate in bat-lie portions 31 and 32 in order to bring about a shunting of the air going through the passage in such a manner that the reed 30 is caused to vibrate. These reed holders are also frictionally engageable with the walls constituting the passage.

In Fig. 9 a plurality of such tubular pipes are adhesively secured together with the tapered portions oppositely directed and presenting at upper surfaces. With this arrangement a plurality of individual reed holders may be mounted in any desired number to provide a pitch pipe approaching the order of that illustrated in Fig. l with respect to function.

It will thus be seen that the objects herein before set forth may readily and efficiently be obtained and since certain changes may be made in the above article and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a pitch pipe, the improvement comprising a casing of substantially disk-like configuration having substantially at top and bottom walls connected by an end wall, with the latter having peripheral perforations therein; a plurality of individual, spaced-apart ribs between said top and bottom walls extending inwardly but short of the center of said casing to provide a central air chamber and to form air passages between said perforations and said chamber, said chamber having axial openings through the top and bottom walls forming said chamber; said ribs each being angularly disposed to radii of said casing and adjacent ribs tapering inwardly toward each other; and a plurality of individual reed holders, each having a single reed thereon, each of which reed holders is angularly disposed with respect to each said individual rib, and removably mounted individually within one of said air passages, and opposite longitudinal edges of said reed holders frictionally engaging said top and bottom walls to maintain the same in selected position.

2. In a pitch pipe as defined in claim 1, and further characterized in that said reed holders are angularly disposed with respect to said casing walls and in abutting relation thereto.

3. In a pitch pipe as dened in claim 1, and further characterized in that said reed holders are substantially perpendicularly disposed with respect to said upper and lower casing walls and in abutting relation thereto.

4. In a pitch pipe as defined in claim 1, and further characterized in that said upper and lower casing walls comprise at least two separate sections, in abutting relation, and a film of adhesive therebetween securing said sections together.

5. In a pitch pipe as dened in claim 1, and further characterized in that said upper wall comprises a plate, said perforated end wall being integral with said lower wall, said plate and end wall being in abutting relation, and a film of adhesive therebetween securing said plate to said end wall.

6. In a pitch pipe as defined in claim 1, and further characterized in that said upper wall comprises a disk, grooves in said disk, angularly disposed with respect to radii of said disk, and frictionally engaging said longitudinal edges of said reed holders.

7. In a pitch pipe as defined in claim 1, and further characterized in that said upper and lower Walls each have oppositely disposed grooves therein, angularly disposed with respect to radii thereof, frictionally engaging opposite longitudinal edges of said reed holders.

8. In a pitch pipe of the character described, the improvement comprising a disk-shaped casing having planesurfaced top and bottom Walls, said bottom wall having a. plurality of spaced upstanding L-shaped ribs integral therewith, the leg of each rib being angularly disposed to radii of said casing and extending inwardly toward each other but short of the center thereof to provide air passages terminating in a central air chamber between said top and bottom walls, said chamber having co-aXial openings therethrough, and the foot of each rib terminating short of an adjacent leg to provide an end wall having peripheral openings communicating with said passages, chamber and co-axial openings, and a reed holder, having a reed thereon, mounted between said top and bottom Walls and extending from the free end of each said foot across each said passage to the free end of each said leg adjacent thereto.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 655,452 Oetinger Aug. 7, 1900 925,778 Lanier, Sr June 22, 1909 987,159 Norcross Mar. 21, 1911 1,796,795 Kraft Mar. 17, 1931 

